I have known John McNabb and Jennifer Gomes and their daughters Pascale and Siobhan since the early eighties and have admired their architectural and design work and enjoyed their friendship.

When Bruce Norgate, my son Tao's father-in-law, pointed out to me the awful things happening at the Queen Vic Market near his home, I was alerted to the problem in much more detail by the McNabb/Gomes team as they live even closer and have been active with the community to try to find an alternative to the wholesale destruction of an iconic Melbourne site.

It was an eye opener to go to the meeting at the nearby Drill Hall a few weeks ago where John presented his plan to a packed room of stall holders who, despite the claim made by the MCC, had had no consultation in the council's proposed plan. The more things change!

At the end of the presentation two ladies walked over to me to say that they had sold the hat I was wearing ​ to me. Well, yes they did.

Anyway, please read and look at the plans and sign on if you believe that John's plans are what we need. I have.

An Alternative Plan for the Regeneration of Queen Victoria Market - John McNabb

John McNabb

A concept born from the shop floor with the market community in mind; that modernises and enhances existing operational framework without disrupting the livelihoods of the myriad small business owners; that pays homage to and protects QVM’s historical heritage, and ensures it continues into the future, as it has in the past, as a working fresh food and general market for the Melbourne community. ​

​This cutting edge QVM regeneration plan will:- Ensure preservation of the market’s heritage- Prevent the dismantling of the heritage sheds- Avoid invasion and disruption to QVM operations, property, stall holders and public amenity- Reduce conflict between service vehicle movement, goods transfer and the public- Avoids risk events of public being stranded in basements in emergency evacuation

And provide the following:- ​Continuity and enhancement of QVM as a working fresh food and general market - Increased, accessible, weatherproofed car parking, - Measures to moderate extreme weather conditions in the sheds- Enhanced entertainment, performance, display, exhibition, education/information and recreational opportunities - Initiatives as a generative model for clean, renewable energy and energy self sufficiency

Other- Additional public seating distributed throughout the market - Water bubblers

Costings - $145Million with contingency, as at August 2017

Summary

This concept offers a sensitive, economic & ergonomic alternative for the preservation of QVM,

The Community Plan offers the following attributes:

- Avoids disruption to QVM operations - Avoids sidelining any QVM operations and stall trader existence- Economical in terms of both capital and recurrent costs- Relative simplicity in construction and operation- Fast and measurable construction program- Offers construction staging opportunities- Easy accessibility for improved, safer car parking facilities- Easy accessibility for the intense requirements of goods delivery, dispatch and fast processing of goods transfer at ground level with linkage to stalls- Clean, renewable energy consumed in implementation, operation, maintenance and replacement- Environmental compatibility and enhancement for the QVM precinct- Separation of access for public car parking from goods delivery and servicing ensures independence for each and eliminates conflict - Simplicity of safety for evacuation, emergency, fire control, air handling requirements and considerable independence from and less reliance on mechanical systems for movement and transfer of people, vehicles and goods.- Eliminates the potential for breakdown of vehicles and movement systems with consequent disruption, stranding of personnel and vehicles and risk potential for public safety.- ​The development injects resources to boost this sector of the city for a multiplicity of community activities and entertainment to benefit not only QVM but the locality, the City and Melbourne generally.